This wasn't quite Nick Castellanos calling Comerica Park 'a joke' back in 2019. But Robbie Grossman became the latest Tigers hitter to voice frustration with the spacious dimensions at Comerica following a long-awaited power surge in back-to-back home wins this weekend.
Grossman entered Saturday's game against the Rangers, his 50th of the season, hitting .191 with zero homers and an OPS of .519. He finally went went deep as part of a 3-4 day at the plate, then went deep again as part of a four-RBI showing on Sunday.
After Sunday's win in which Grossman launched a three-run bomb to right to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead in the first, he acknowledged he had "tried to make some adjustments" to his swing earlier this season "because of the park we play in."
"And it didn't work for me," he said, "so I had to go back to who I was before."
Grossman, 32, discovered a power stroke by increasing his launch angle toward the end of his tenure with the A's, which helped him hit a career-high 23 homers in his first season with the Tigers. But this season he said was trying to elevate the ball less, likely wary of lofting long fly balls into outs in Comerica Park.
Asked if Comerica's deep fences can mess with hitters mentally, Grossman said, "Oh, for sure. For sure. Even as a visiting player I didn't like coming here. I just need to be me and continue to do what makes me a good player."
Miguel Cabrera has also objected to Comerica's dimensions in the past, and with good reason. Had he played the bulk of his career in a more normal-sized park, his pursuit of 500 homers last season may well have been 600. And opposing players are often at a loss when they fly into 400-plus-foot outs.
Castellanos went the extra, uhm, 5,280 feet three years ago when, after a similarly strong series like Grossman, he declared, "This park's a joke."
"It's to the point where, how are we going to be compared to the rest of the league for power numbers and OPS and slugging when we've got a yard out here that's 420 feet straight across to center field?" Castellanos said.
Asked if he hears similar complaints from players around the league, Grossman said Sunday, "I think it's pretty well documented."
But Grossman's gripes aren't rooted in results. He hit considerably better at home last season than on the road, with 12 homers and an .827 OPS at Comerica versus 11 homers and a .723 OPS everywhere else. Same for this season: his OPS at home, while not up to his usual standard, is once again 100-plus points higher than it is on the road. And his career OPS of .776 at Comerica bests his career OPS of .723 everywhere else.
Grossman's biggest problem this season has been in the contact department. He has a career-high whiff rate, which has led to a career-high strikeout rate. And when he does make contact, his average exit velocity is the lowest since his rookie season. If this owes to the changes he's made to his swing -- his launch angle is slightly down from last season -- he's right to reverse course.
Whatever the case, A.J. Hinch is hoping Grossman's breakthrough over the weekend will continue when the Tigers begin an eight-game road trip Monday in Boston.
"He's getting his 'A' swing off a little bit and maybe some of that is psychology adjustments," said Hinch. "It doesn't have to be a mechanical adjustment on the field. He doesn't need confidence, he's always been confident, but I think he needs to see success. Every person and player wants to feel better about themselves.
"You take a couple good swings in some big moments, especially the three- run homer today, that's kind of what it is."
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